"The Nature Of Fasting" By: Shaykh Al-Islam Taqiuddin Ahmad `Abdul-Halim Ibn Taymiyyah Must One Intend to Fast the Night Before? He was asked about an Imam of a congregational Masjid who was a Hanafi, who mentioned to his congregation that he has a book which states that fasting in Ramadhan without an intention before ‘Isha’ of the previous night, or after it, or the time of the predawn meal, then such fasting will not be rewarded. Is this correct or not? He answered: Praise be to Allah. Every Muslim should believe that the fast is obligatory for him, and he wants to fast the month of Ramadhan. If he knows that the next day is a day of Ramadhan, he has to intend fasting and to know that the intention is only by the heart. Everyone who knows what he wants should intend it whether he utters his intention or does not utter it. Utterance of the intention is not obligatory according to the consensus of the Muslims. Masses of the Muslims fast while having this intention, and their fast is sound without any dispute between the scholars. As for determining the intention for (fasting) the month of Ramadhan: Is it obligatory? There are three views in the Madhhab of Ahmad: 1. The fast will not be rewarded for without the intention to fast the month of Ramadhan. If he fasts with a general intention, or specific, or an intention for a voluntary fast, or to fulfill a vow, he should be rewarded for none of these, as is popular in the Madhhab of Ash Shafi`i, and Ahmad in one of the narrations. 2. It is worthy of reward in general, according to the Madhhab of Abu Hanfiah. 3. Fasting with an intention that is not specified is worthy of reward, except in the case of the intention of Ramadhan. This is the third narration from Ahmad. It is the choice of Al-Kharqi and Abu Al-Barakat. The truth of this issue is that the intention follows the knowledge. If he knows that the coming days is a day of Ramadhan, he has to define the intention in accordance with it. If he intends to observe an optional fast, or undefined fast, his fast is not liable to be rewarded. Since Allah, the Almighty, commanded him to intend fulfilling an obligatory fast which is the month of Ramadhan, which he knows is obligatory. If he does not do the obligatory action, he does not meet his obligation. But if he does not know that the coming day is of the month of Ramadhan, he is not required to define the intention. Whoever (of the scholars) considered it obligatory while he did not know, he is obliging the existence of two contradicting things simultaneously. If it is said that his fast is allowable, and he fasts in such case with either a specified or unspecified intention, then his fast is worthy of reward. But if he intends an optional fast, then he comes to know that it was of the month of Ramadhan, his fast is liable to be meritorious. His case is like the case of a man who had some amount of money due from him without knowledge of it, then he gave it anyway as a form of charity. Later it became known that he actually owed that amount to whom he paid it. Thus he is not required to pay it again. He will say: “What I gave you was what I owed you.” And Allah knows the realities of all things. As for the narration from Ahmad which states that the people are to follow the Imam in his intention, and that fasting and breaking the fast is to be done in accordance with what the people know – this is based upon what is recorded in the Sunan; The Prophet (salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: (Your fast is on the day you fast. Your breaking fast is on the day you break your fast. Your day of ‘Id AlAdha is on the day you celebrate it.) (Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi)
Posted on: Wed, 10 Jul 2013 02:23:00 +0000
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